zulu.1473.gardens
Owakuleli owenza izimanga
Uyi-“NGO” ngokwakhe!
U-Elsie Mpatlanyane uyingqalabutho esiwine imiklomelo ngokusiza ifundise abesimame bakuleli ukondla imindeni yabo ngokutshala
UCHITHE isikhathi esiningi efundisa abanye ukuzinakekela. Umsebenzi wakhe ekutshaleni nasekuthuthukiseni izingadi ususize izizukulwane zabesimame zikwazi ukondla imindeni yazo ngokutshala - ukudayisa - izitshalo ezifana nesipinashi, u-beetroot, u-anyanisi, iklabishi, u-turnip no-green beans.
Ngesikhathi sobandlululo, u-Elsie Mpatlanyane wayefundisa ngokudla okunomsoco, ukupheka kanjalo nangamakhono okubhaka, amandla amakhambi esintu okwelapha nokubaluleka kokubhajetha kwabaningi besimame abangaqashiwe - waqala eSoweto nasendaweni eyayaziwa ngokuthi yi-Eastern Transvaal.
Emva kwesikhathi wajoyina abe-EcoLink okuyinhlangano ezimele (NGO) yezemvelo esendaweni yaseWhite River, waphinde wasiza abesimame emiphakathini yakuso sonke isifunda ngenhloso yokusungula izingadi zama-vegetable.
Ngo-1992 waba ngowokuqala wesimame wakuleli ukuwina i-United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Global 500 Award ngomsebenzi wakhe wezingadi kanjalo nokubuye kusetshenziswe kabusha izinto esezisuke zilahliwe.
Emva kweminyaka emihlanu i-UNEP yanxusa umdwebi wodumo emhlabeni uHisako Ono waseJapan ukuba adwebe isithombe sika-Elsie esasizophanyekwa emahhovisi amakhulu e-UN eNew York.
Ingozi yemoto yaphoqa u-Elsie ukuba athathe umhlalaphansi emsebenzini wakhe ayewenzela umphakathi ngo-2001, kodwa ngenxa yothando lwakhe lwezokutshalwa kwezingadi nokusiza umphakathi, waqhubekela phambili.
Njengamanje lo gogo oneminyaka engu-61 usenengadi yamakhambi esintu neye-strawberry ngemumva kwekhaya lakhe eMsogwaba okuyindawo eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-25 edolobheni laseNelspruit nokuyilapho esebenzisana nabesimame bendawo.
“Namuhla bonke abesimame basendaweni banezingadi ngemumva kwamakhaya abo.”
U-ELSIE wazalelwa eBethal eHighveld. Washiya isikole emva kokuqeda uStd 7 ngenxa yokuthi abazali bakhe baphelelwa yimali. Emva kwesikhathi wahamba waya eSoweto wafike washada khona ngo-1963, ngonyaka owalandela wathola umntwana wakhe wokuqala kwabane.
Ngo-1973 wagula wangeniswa esibhedlela. “Ngangishisa umzimba wonke futhi undikindiki kodwa kungekho muntu owayebona ukuthi yini eyayonakele,” kusho yena.
“Ngathandaza ngathi, ‘Nkosi ngiyakuCela, umsebenzi wami awukapheli. Isifiso sami wukusebenzisana nomphakathi.’ Ngelanga elilandelayo, ngase ngiphila qingqo.”
Ukululama kuka-Elsie kwamenza wasebenzisana nomphakathi ngosizo lwabe-Reformed Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Yena nelinye ilungu lebandla baqala bafundisa abesimame ukuba batshale izingadi emakhaya abo.
“Amakhosikazi ebandla ayehlangana njalo ngamaSonto acobelelane ngamasu amaresiphi amasha, ukudla okusha kanjalo nangezeluleko zokunomsoco.
“Amakhosikazi amadala ayephinde anike izeluleko kulabo abesimame abasanda kushada.
“Sasizenzela okwethu ukudla kwezingane, i-peanut butter, ikhofi namaswidi no-beetroot wethu siwufake emathinini. Noma iliphi ilungu lethu lalifundisa noma kuphi lapho lalikhona.”
U-ELSIE nomndeni wakhe bathuthela eNelspruit ngo-1977. “Ngafike ngaqala amaqembu amasha emitholampilo, ngaqala ngafundisa omakhelwane ukupheka, ukunakekela izingane, ukubhajetha kanjalo nokuzimela,” kusho yena.
Umyeni wakhe wedlula emhlabeni ngo-1984, kodwa u-Elsie waqhubeka nomsebenzi wakhe wokuba yivolontiya emphakathini, phezu kokuba ebhekene nomsebenzi wokondla izingane ezine.
Wathola umsebenzi kwabe-EcoLink ngo-1989 ngaleyo ndlela waqhubela umsebenzi wakhe womphakathi nakwezinye izindawo.
“Ngaya naseSenegal,” kusho yena.
U-Elsie wayengomunye wabesimame abangu-500 emhlabeni jikelele abahambela ingqungquthela ye-UNEP eMiami ngo-1991 nokuyilapho afike wabakhombisa ukuthi yenziwa kanjani ingadi. Emva konyaka waba ngomunye wabesimame abangu-74 abathola umklomelo we-Global 500 Award eRio de Janeiro eBrazil.
“Ekuqaleni ngethuka, emva kwalokho ngajabula kakhulu.”
Ngo-1996 wakhethwa futhi ngabe-UNEP njengomunye wabesimame abangu-25 abasebenzela umphakathi emcimbini eNew York, kwathi isithombe sowesimame ngamunye saphanyekwa enhloko-dolobha yabe-UN ngo-1997.
PHEZU kodumo nokuvakashela amazwe aphesheya, kodwa wayesekubheke ngabomvu ukubuyela ekhaya. “Ngiyayithanda iSouth Africa izwe lami,” kusho yena.
Emva kokuthatha umhlalaphansi ngo-2001, u-Elsie waqhubeka nomsebenzi wakhe wokusebenzela umphakathi esewenzela ekhaya nokuyilapho ebheke abazukulu bakhe abathathu kwabayisishiyagalombili.
“Ngingasebenza kusukela liphuma lize liyoshona,” kusho yena.
Ngaphandle komsebenzi wakhe wokutshala ama-vegetable oqhubekayo, uphinde aphathe isikhwama sokonga sabesimame bendawo nezingane zesikole kanti ngonyaka odlule wasungula uhlelo lomsebenzi lokuvuselelwa kwamaphepha asesebenzile.
Baningana abesimame bendawo abasathutheleka ekhaya lakhe bezofuna izeluleko.
“Njengale ntokazi efike kimina namuhla, izele ukuba ngizoyifundisa ukwenza ophayi. Izolo ngiyifundise ukwenza ama-scones. Ngisazoqhubeka nale misebenzi yokusiza abantu - ngiyi-NGO ngokwami - lena engaholi.”[z]
African Eye News Service
BONA ZULU – May 2007
NGENHLA: Isithombe sika-Elsie ekanye nochwepheshe womdwebi wakwelaseJapan owadweba isithombe sakhe.
PHEZULU: “Ngiyi-NGO ngokwami, futhi angiholi,” kusho u-Elsie.
indaba nezithombe nguGUY JEPSON/AENS
BONA ZULU – May 2007
